Montgomery is moving with the times, looking to foster a new digital revolution. In recent years, the city has shown that it’s looking to grow its technology startups and position itself as a regional hub.
In this article, we explore the digital innovation occurring in Montgomery and what the future holds for the city.
The local government in Montgomery is looking to attract business startups to create economic growth and bring jobs to the city. In recent years, it has done this in a few ways, such as opening Montgomery TechLab.
TechLab offers tech entrepreneurs office space, resources, and networking opportunities. It was launched in 2020, and the goal is to partner emerging mobile apps with already established Montgomery businesses.
Besides the TechLab, the nearby Maxwell-Gunter Air Force Base is quickly becoming one of the cybersecurity centers in the USA. This means a huge amount of talented software engineers which provides opportunities and training for local people.
Furthermore, what makes Montgomery extremely attractive is the lower cost of living. This is especially pertinent with office rent and real estate prices. As tech companies can be located anywhere, these costs are important, as well as the quality of digital infrastructure.
The Montgomery Internet Exchange was launched back in 2016 and has increased the speed of high-speed internet in the city, without a higher cost. This has attracted companies and content creators alike because of the fast internet and larger cloud computing possibilities.
This has led to the explosion of esports events mainly in the top games such as League of Legends, DOTA 2, and CS: GO. These events are often streamed around the world, which in turn, bolsters Montgomery’s brand.
Online gaming is thriving, esports are quickly becoming mainstream, and many US states, including nearby Tennessee allow betting on these events. This revolution of online gambling has also allowed plenty of states to start the online casino legalization process.
Even though real money casinos remain prohibited in the state of Alabama, in recent times we’ve seen the growth of sweepstakes casinos. This form of digital entertainment is completely legal for anyone over 18 because you play with Gold and Sweeps Coins.
When you play at legal online casinos in Alabama the signup process is fast, and you’ll get Gold and Sweeps Coins for free. Montgomery players can enjoy hundreds of games such as slots, craps, and blackjack. Also, no purchase is ever necessary, so you get free coins every day.
With tech innovation coming to Montgomery, it will inevitably affect the local economy. In many ways, it will bring highly skilled and well-paid jobs to the area, but there are some pitfalls to the strategy too.
For example, apps and online services change the main street shops. Many mom-and-pop stores struggle to compete with the internet behemoths and therefore, go out of business. This changes the tradition of the city, with the main street becoming restaurants, bars, and big brands.
On the other hand, all cities need to change with the times. The continued investment in tech startups will attract more people to Montgomery and in turn, increase the tax revenues of the local government.
These tax revenues can be used to increase the standard of living in Montgomery. They can be put towards better roads, hospitals, and schools, while at the same time creating jobs for the local people.
For the tech industry to grow in Montgomery, it will need strong leadership from the local government. Investment is needed in the digital infrastructure, and tax breaks are required to attract large tech companies setting up in the city.
Of course, Silicon Valley is the tech hub, but in recent times, many companies have left because of the high taxes and regulations. Take Tesla for example, which has moved all of its operations to Texas.
The state of Alabama can follow in other southern states steps’ such as Texas and Tennessee and foster an environment for emerging tech industries. The great thing about technology startups is that they can be located anywhere.
Therefore, it’s Montgomery’s job to capture the market and set itself up for the next century. In addition, with nearby military bases, excellent internet, and cloud infrastructure, Montgomery has taken massive strides in such a short space of time.
